Hill of Lochiel

Long have I pined for thee,

Land of my infancy!

Now will I kneel on thee,

Hill of Lochiel!

Hill of the sturdy steer,

Hill of the roe and deer,

Hill of the streamlet clear,

I love thee well.

When in my youthful prime,

Correi and crag to climb,

Or towering cliff sublime,

Was my delight

Scaling the eagle's nest,

Wounding the raven's breast,

Skimming the mountain's crest,

Gladsome and light.

When, at the break of morn,

Proud o'er thy temples borne,

Kythed the red-deer's horn,

How my heart beat!

Then, when with stunned leap

Roll'd he adown the steep,

Never did hero reap

Conquest so great.

Then rose a bolder game,

Young Charlie Stuart came;

Cameron, that loyal name,

Foremost must be.

Hard then our warrior meed,

Glorious our warrior deed,

'Till we were doom'd to bleed

By treachery.

Then did the red blood stream,

Then was the broad sword's gleam

Quench'd in fair freedom's beam,

No more to shine;

Then was the morning's brow

Red with the fiery glow,

Fell hall and hamlet low,

All that were mine.

Then was our maiden young,

First aye in battle strong,

Fired at her prince's wrong,

Forced to give way.

Broke was the golden cup,

Gone Caledonia's hope;

Faithful and true men drop

Fast in the clay.

Far in a hostile land,

Stretch'd on a foreign strand,

Oft has the tear-drop bland

Scorch'd as it fell.

Once was I spurn'd from thee,

Long have I mourn'd for thee,

Now I'm return'd to thee,

Hill of Lochiel.